Changes
by Mad Kat
Summary: Rewrite of IWRY, with a happy ending


Changes  
  
Disclaimer: For those of you who just arrived on this planet.not mine! Rating: Hmm. I think PG-13 but I wouldn't swear to it. If I'm wrong I'm really sorry, but hey I warned you!  
  
Summary: A rewrite of IWRY originally inspired by Challenge 16 from Sunlight and Shadow, posted by Cynamin on February 14th 2002.  
  
Willow sat cross-legged on her bed hugging a fuzzy cushion tightly to her chest and watched a cranky slayer scrabbling in her untidy closet for clothes to pack for her trip to L.A. A trip ostensibly taken to visit her seldom seen father; but they both knew a certain vampire and his recent lurking in Sunnydale's shadows was the prime motivator for the frenzied clothes hunt and the planned trip. Willow shook her head sadly as Buffy packed a sixth mature-yet-sexy outfit before diving back into the closet.  
  
"Uh Buffy, didn't you say you were only going for two days?"  
  
"How dare he, How dare he, How dare he!" Buffy grumbled under her breath, ignoring Willow's comment as she frantically searched for the skirt she needed to go with her new knee high boots, Angel had always drooled for her in knee high boots. Subtle drool, but drool nonetheless.  
  
I'm being mean and childish, wanting to show him what he's missing she thought, her hand hovering over a short black Lycra skirt that had shrunk in the wash. "But I just got to the stage where I could go a whole ten minutes without thinking about him and he just shows up and makes everything bad again without me even getting to see him!"  
  
The fuzzy cushion flopped to the floor as Willow jumped at this enraged bellow from the depths of the closet. Buffy squeezed her eyes shut in mortification as Willow retrieved the cushion and gently squeezed her shoulder in sympathy.  
  
"Oops" she managed with a forced grin as tears slowly welled up, "just sorta popped out".  
  
"Look Buffy maybe this isn't a good idea" began Willow gently, seeing the now familiar glassy sheen Buffy's eyes took on when confronted with mention or thoughts of Angel, "perhaps you could write him a letter, try to make him understand."  
  
"Nuh-uh" Buffy said emphatically as she marched across the room, headed for the washroom with her chosen outfit and cosmetics, "I have to see him Will," she said a little desperately as she fled their dorm room "I just have to!"  
  
Willow winced at the slam of the door and her friend's misery, she hoped this visit did some good, because however much they all tried to kid themselves Buffy wasn't even halfway over Angel; not by any stretch of anyone's imagination.  
  
*******************  
  
"Okay" Buffy muttered to herself as she stood outside Angel's office "Hair; check, Make-up; check, Clothes; check, Sanity, Uuh, abandoned earlier in the day. What am I doing here? She half turned to walk away but heard his voice say her name; trying not to melt at the beloved sound Buffy weakly summoned up the rage she had felt so strongly earlier and walked towards the open door.  
  
She listened for a moment, realising they were discussing Angel's visit to her town, none of the trio noticed her standing in the doorway until Cordelia unknowingly gave her the perfect opening line. Stepping into the office she fixed Angel with the sternest look she could muster and finished Cordy's sentence ".a little upset, wouldn't you?"  
  
*******************  
  
It had to be possibly the most awkward conversation Buffy had ever endured. It was ridiculous trying to maintain her justifiable anger when all she really wanted to do was fall into his strong arms and beg him to come home. That did succeed in making her angry, why did she have to love him like she did? Why couldn't some nice normal guy, or at least one she could actually spend time with without fearing the end of the world, be the one for her to love so desperately?  
  
She found herself making mean remarks to hide her own hurt but as the sharp words left her mouth and the agony settled on his beautiful face in response, the urge to just cut her tongue out grew. His pain was still her pain. Will was right, she thought; should've written a letter. Abruptly she decided she had to leave before she completely sabotaged the last tiny threads left of their once strong relationship.  
  
She propelled herself towards the door "So, lets just stick to the plan. We'll keep our distance until a lot of time has passed, given enough time we should be able to-"  
  
"Forget" Angel finished sadly.  
  
"Yeah" she agreed miserably. Then, feeling the tears always so near the surface now begin to well up, she turned away "So I'm gonna go, start forgetting" she reached for the door, needing to be elsewhere before she forgot herself, buried her face in his cool, still chest and howled.  
  
Then her plans for a swift and dignified exit were ruined by the abrupt and noisy entry through a window of a big ugly green demon. It was waving a big ugly sword at Angel. Old feelings came back harder. With a frantic screech of "Angel" she waded into the fight, grimly determined to protect her love as she always had before. They struggled together with the demon before it managed to send them both crashing to the floor in a heap, though not before Angel managed to stab it in the leg. As it leapt from the window Buffy found herself in the place she secretly most wanted to be, smushed against Angel's hard chest, but not in reality she thought, hastily wriggling away and getting to her feet. To cover her confusion at being pressed so close, so unexpectedly she found herself deciding loudly that the demon was rude and they should go kill it. Then before she could decide that it was in fact a very bad plan Angel was agreeing with her and showing her a place to change.  
  
*******************  
  
"I've lost my mind," she mumbled to herself as she went to join Angel at the access to the sewer tunnel under his building. Then she had the unsought opportunity to shamelessly ogle his very nice behind and tautly muscled thighs as he bent over examining the contents of a Weapons chest. The choked off gurgle she made at the forbidden sight drew Angel's Attention and he turned to offer her a wickedly sharp and handsomely made sword, seemingly unaware of his ex-girlfriend's bad, lusty thoughts. Buffy automatically took the sword to cover up that she hadn't heard a word of what he'd just said, too busy drooling to listen. She had planned to simply take her stake as she knew best how to handle it, but having accepted the sword she'd look weird handing it back. Besides, she could handle a sword too and this one was a beauty. She took a minute to try it out and get used to the weight before they entered the tunnels.  
  
Tracking the demon through the tunnels was so eerily like old times for the two of them that she found herself slipping between comfortable silence and blissful ease in Angel's presence to spurts of nervous babble about college and friends and then nearly unleashing a full on slayer assault on an unsuspecting, un-dangerous rodent. After that mistake she forced herself to calm down.  
  
Eventually Angel lost the trail he had followed from the demon's blood and they stood staring uncertainly at a tunnel and a shaft.  
  
"What if it went up?"  
  
"Into the day, where it knows I can't follow."  
  
"But I can."  
  
Buffy had just pretty much decided that it would be best for both of them if they went after the demon separately, mainly because the whole situation was starting to make her crazy, when Angel's keen ears caught a faint scraping sound from further down the tunnel. He edged forward like a bloodhound, battleaxe at the ready, his delicate nose finally catching the faintest whiff of demon blood over the strong aroma of sewer.  
  
He leapt forwards, heading down the tunnel; Buffy sprang off the ladder she had begun to climb and pounded after him. The demon was wounded but didn't seem to be struggling too badly. Buffy felt quite glad for a split second that she hadn't sent Angel to face it alone, then she was dodging the expert sweep of it's sword and fighting back as hard as she could. She thrust forwards with her sword as Angel hacked with his battleaxe, this demon was as slippery as they came; somehow it was behind her now. How the hell did it move so fast? It knocked Angel backwards, slamming him into the wall, slashing his belly. For the second time that day her heart took hold of her voice and she screeched his name in a panic.  
  
Her fighting was faster now, more deadly. She was fighting for the man she loved, as she always had "Nobody messes with my boyfriend." This demon was going to be very sorry, or hopefully just very dead.  
  
Buffy launched into a complicated series of twists and lunges, trying to catch the demon warrior off guard. She scored a hit on its shoulder, temporarily feeling better, but the pain just seemed to enrage it to greater strength and speed. Its blade flashed past her defence slicing lightly along her arm. Stifling the yelp of pain that rose she maintained her grip on the sword with difficulty, blood ran down her arm, trickling over her fingers, making the hilt slick. With the next thrust she parried the sword flew from her fingers, her back was against the wall now, literally. The Irony struck her, she didn't get to live with Angel but she was going to get to die with him it seemed. She looked towards where he had fallen but instead of lying helplessly he was.  
  
.winking and sliding his axe across the floor? Buffy threw herself sideways, snatched up the axe and embedded it in the surprised demon's forehead. It slumped forwards bleeding florescent green ooze profusely all over her new white pullover before it disintegrated much in the manner of vampires. "Oh now it does the clean up" she grumbled sarcastically looking down at herself in disgust as she hurried to Angel's side. He was struggling to sit up, Buffy stretched out gore-covered hands to stop him. Her blood and the big ugly green guy's blood mingled with the blood leaking from Angel's belly.  
  
"Ooh, sorry" Buffy told Angel as he grimaced in pain and at the state of her hands. She hastily wiped them on her favourite black pants, scowling at the thought of her dry-cleaning/shopping bill. Eventually she had satisfied herself that Angel would be fine again, at some distant point in time and was just about capable of struggling home and hauled him to his feet.  
  
*******************  
  
Buffy staggered through the door of Angel's apartment and deposited him heavily on the kitchen table, sending a bowl and other items crashing noisily to the ground, besides the floor it was the nearest flat surface, and she wasn't convinced she would be able to pick him up again from there.  
  
Hurrying into the bathroom she rummaged until she found a large first aid box, grabbing it and a towel from the rack she rushed back to attend to him to find Cordelia and Doyle already there fussing over Angel.  
  
"I should've known," screeched Cordelia. "Nothing good ever comes of Buffy and Angel being around each other."  
  
"Yeah I hired the big ugly to beat us both up, I figured a near death experience might be a kinda fun way to spend the holiday." Buffy shot back sarcastically.  
  
Cordelia folded her arms and glared "It didn't happen until you showed up."  
  
"How am I supposed to stop evil things being evil and attacking us? Huh? Should I just say 'oh I'm sorry not today that'll prove Cordelia's little theory that I'm just trouble' think that'll work?"  
  
"Uh, Ladies," put in Doyle uncomfortably "Angel's kinda lyin' here bleedin' and you're havin' a catfight, could we maybe ."  
  
Buffy and Cordelia ended their standoff shamefacedly and hastily went about helping Doyle attend to the wounded Angel.  
  
*******************  
  
"I'm glad you're gonna be okay," Buffy said sincerely as she stood beside Angel's bed, preparing to leave. If she left soon she could still get to spend some time with her dad, the purported reason for her trip; before she had to head back to good ol' Sunnyhell. "I'm so sorry you got hurt." She added a trifle guiltily.  
  
"It wasn't your fault so don't even think it." Angel told her gently, he reached for her hand and she let him take it, cherishing the small contact.  
  
"Perhaps us seeing each other wasn't a great idea," he told her softly "but I was glad to see you all the same."  
  
"I know," she breathed, then before she changed her mind she bent, brushed a feather-light kiss to his cheek and walked away.  
  
Angel lay silently after she had gone. Unsure whether to laugh or cry, she still cared for him no matter that her life had moved on, that much was clear; which had his battered heart soaring with happiness, but for them to always have to part was just too much misery to easily bear. Angel lay in his silent room and shed silent tears for the love he could never have again.  
  
*******************  
  
"Shouldn't he be better and all grr again by now?" demanded Cordelia impatiently as she paced beside Angel's bed.  
  
Doyle frowned uneasily "In a word Princess, Yeah, he should be."  
  
"So do something, like have a vision about how to cure Angel."  
  
"It's not that simple Delia." He said softly, looking down at his unconscious and slightly feverish boss "Not that simple at all."  
  
*******************  
  
Buffy chuckled politely at the semi-funny joke the cute blond guy she was having coffee with had just made and nodded her assent to his offer of another cup. As he made his way to the counter her smile died. What was she doing here? Her Psych TA was a nice guy; he didn't need to be having coffee with a slayer too busy brooding over her vampire ex-lover to give him a real chance to win her heart. She was attracted to his sunny good looks and smiling face, she genuinely liked his sweet nature and gentle humour, If she'd met him before Angel she probably would've thought her birthday and Christmas had come at once but now when it came to the crunch he simply wasn't Angel and that was all there was to it.  
  
Angel was gone though, and now she understood his reasons for leaving a little better she could see his point, they could never and would never have a real relationship ever again. A sharp pain twisted deep inside of her, it shouldn't hurt that much she whimpered to herself, not like that. The pain slowly subsided. Time to move on she sighed, trying to push Angel into the darkest most hidden corner of her heart, where he always refused to stay. She smiled up at Riley as he returned. Time to get on with what she could have. It wasn't his fault he wasn't Angel.  
  
*******************  
  
Angel's apartment was a disaster area. Doyle and Cordelia had both pretty much moved in over the past two days and neither was renowned for their tidiness at the best of times. Much of the mess came from discarded bandages, books with demony content, barely touched meals, dirty coffee mugs and bloodstained clothes. Pretty much the usual mess of two friends whose vampire boss and buddy slowly seemed to be dying - and violently refusing his dinner. It was no wonder Doyle and Cordelia weren't inclined towards cleaning.  
  
They sat together; keeping a loyal vigil over him, carefully researching through his stacks of books for some clue to save him; Angel would have appreciated their care, if he'd been conscious.  
  
Cordelia stretched, dumped her book on the floor and grabbed a semi-clean mug to fetch more coffee. Doyle waved a mug at her without taking his eyes off the page.  
  
Cordelia asked him a touch irritably, "Did you find something?"  
  
Doyle raised tired blue eyes to her face, "Maybe, Princess." He told her as she accepted the mug with hope flaring in her eyes, "Maybe."  
  
Just then Angel's body twitched and his eyelids fluttered, Cordelia pressed forwards expectantly, hopeful that her friend was going to wake up now and be okay, Doyle looked hopeful too until Angel's body stretched as taut as a bow string and then began to spasm. His eyes jerked open staring unseeing at the ceiling as his body helplessly jolted back and forth.  
  
"Ohmigod he's really dying," snuffled Cordelia helplessly "I should've told Buffy, she should've been here."  
  
"Ya don't even like Buffy though," Doyle said a little incredulously, moving the short distance to Angel's side.  
  
"That's not the point," Cordelia sniffled at him from the other side of the thrashing Angel "He loves her and well, she loves him."  
  
Angel abruptly calmed and lay still.  
  
"Is he gonna die now?" asked Cordelia in horror.  
  
Doyle stretched out a hand to touch Angel's heaving chest, and a grin slowly spread across his face. "No Delia Darlin', he's gonna live, and when I say live. I mean live." At Cordelia's uncomprehending look he grabbed her hand and guided it to Angel's warm chest so she could feel the steady Thump, thump. Thump, thump.  
  
*******************  
  
"Thank you for a lovely evening Riley."  
  
"My pleasure, I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I did. Perhaps we could go out again sometime?"  
  
Buffy smiled at him, her face ached with smiling "That'd be nice."  
  
Riley beamed at her, "Great. Soon I hope."  
  
"Sure, not tomorrow or Thursday but I'm totally free on Friday, is that okay?"  
  
Riley's smile got wider, "I'll look forward to it."  
  
He leaned forward and kissed her, his lips were soft and warm and Buffy let herself relax into the brief kiss.  
  
"See you soon," he said backing away down the hallway "Sleep well Buffy."  
  
"Yeah, night Riley."  
  
Buffy shut the door and slumped against it.  
  
"So, did you have a good time?" Willow chirped from her bed where she lay with her laptop computer.  
  
Buffy shook off the weird feeling she was having "Actually, yeah I did." She said surprising herself with the truth "Riley's a really nice guy."  
  
"So you had a good time, are you going out with him again? I need gossip and I need it now!"  
  
Buffy smiled and grabbed them both a soda and some chips. Willow shuffled her laptop to the floor and made room for Buffy beside her. They settled in happily to dissect Buffy's successful date.  
  
*******************  
  
"Thanks Cordy." Angel said gratefully as she passed him a large cup of coffee, a huge chicken, mayo and salad sub, a sack of cookies and a slab of chocolate fudge cake - all swiftly bought from the deli when he had clambered energetically out of bed twenty minutes earlier announcing he was starving.  
  
"That was some impressive recovery Angel." Cordelia said as she settled down in the chair opposite him, nibbling the smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel she had ordered for herself.  
  
Doyle agreed from his seat next to Cordelia "Yeah man, had us really worried for a good bit and then, bam, you're all human."  
  
".And vacuuming up your dinner in a deeply gross way," added Cordelia wrinkling her nose, disgusted at Angel's lack of table manners.  
  
Doyle paused in his attack on the steak sandwich he was efficiently disposing of to say jokingly, "Give the man a break Delia, he hasn't eaten for two and a half centuries!"  
  
Angel swallowed the last huge bite of his sandwich with difficulty, wiped gobs of mayo from his chin and grinned widely at his friends. "Sorry guys but I really was hungry and I'd forgotten how good it all tastes when you're alive."  
  
Doyle and Cordelia grinned back happily as Angel began to eat the cake at a slightly slower pace. "Uhm Chocolate! Chocolate cake! I love chocolate!"  
  
"Angel," said Cordelia smiling, "You're gonna love grocery shopping!"  
  
"Yeah," agreed Doyle "Many millions of new and excitin' things for ya to try out."  
  
".And get fat on," finished Cordelia, watching fascinated as the cake vanished too and Angel dragged the sack of cookies towards him "Y'know I think you'll find you can get all saggy now if you eat too many of them."  
  
Angel swallowed the last crumbs of his third cookie and grimaced "Yeah, and now my stomach's killing me."  
  
Cordelia rolled her eyes, "Well duh, you kinda inhaled all that, what did you expect?!"  
  
Angel slumped back in his chair, "I dunno Cordy, I mean, I haven't been human for a very long time; I think I've probably forgotten how and even if I hadn't an eighteenth century Irish nobleman and a twentieth century American regular Joe are totally different. I couldn't go back to being the man I was, even if I wanted to. A century and a half of mayhem and bloodshed and a century of guilt and misery pretty much wiped away the idle fool I once was."  
  
"Even human he broods," groaned Cordelia disbelievingly.  
  
"Yeah man, C'mon be happy, this can be a good thing. Okay, so you need time before you re-join regular human society, that's fine. Cordelia and me will help ya with that."  
  
Cordelia delicately raised an eyebrow at him as she sipped her cappuccino.  
  
"Okay," Doyle admitted "it'll mostly be Cordelia doing the helping, but still, believe me when I say that even as a vampire there were plenty of so- called humans out there less human than you."  
  
"Thanks guys, that means a lot," Angel choked out with a watery smile as he rubbed his uncomfortable stomach.  
  
Doyle just smiled as Cordelia chirped "No worries Angel, we're totally here for you to give you all the help you could possibly need. Uh, you're not gonna barf now are you? cos if you are you're so on your own."  
  
At this typically Cordelia remark Angel temporarily forgot his fears, shook his head and chuckled.  
  
*******************  
  
Later when Cordelia had gone home to finally get some sleep he voiced his worries to Doyle about the possibility of his humanity being a temporary thing.  
  
Doyle sat silently for a moment gathering his thoughts. "It's possible that the oracles might be able to help. I've never met em meself but you could go an ask a question bout things like this."  
  
"So what are we waiting for?" Angel asked scrambling to his feet and heading for the stairs, "lets go ask the oracles."  
  
Doyle followed him shaking his head, a visit to the oracles wasn't his idea of fun.  
  
A short while later Angel found himself standing in a chamber strangely positioned beneath the post office facing an arched doorway while Doyle performed the ritual they hoped would gain his entry.  
  
As the doorway became a glowing portal Doyle said "Remember Man, The oracles have a reputation for bein' funny, finicky creatures. Ya get in. Ask your question, thank em nice and get out or don't be surprised that they turn ya into a toad or summat."  
  
Angel nodded and stepped into the portal. Finding himself a second later standing in a Greek temple facing two blue and gold humanoids wearing togas. He blinked disbelievingly but the strange vision didn't budge.  
  
The male figure addressed him pompously, "You come before us lower being?"  
  
The female chimed in "What have you brought us?"  
  
Angel groaned inwardly knowing that Doyle hadn't been altogether sure of the ritual for this "Was I supposed to?"  
  
"You call us forth and bring no offering?" said the male sounding even more disapproving than before.  
  
Angel hastily ran a mental inventory of his possessions for something he could give these two without causing offence and quickly removed his watch and held it out towards them "I bring this," he offered.  
  
Immediately it was whisked from his fingers and alighted in the hands of the female who smiled happily, "I like time, there is so little and so much of it."  
  
The male was still impatient, "Well?"  
  
Remembering Doyle's advice about cranky oracles Angel asked quickly "What's happened to me?"  
  
The female replied "You are no longer a vampire."  
  
The male nodded in agreement "Yes, you are a human now."  
  
Angel breathed a sigh of relief that was one worry down, two to go. "I'm not poisoned or under a spell or something?" He asked swiftly before the oracles lost what little patience they seemed to possess.  
  
The blue and gold duo wandered closer and seemed to consider this.  
  
Angel held his breath waiting anxiously for their reply.  
  
Finally the Male inclined his head slightly and told him simply "No." Then turned and mounted the steps behind him.  
  
"So it's permanent?" Angel said hopefully and received a curt nod in reply.  
  
The female chimed in, "If it happened it was meant to be." Then she too turned away and walked up the steps.  
  
Angel smiled, hardly able to believe his good fortune "That's it? I'm human now?"  
  
The oracles seemed to finally get fed up with him and with a brief nod from the female and a wave of the male's arm he found himself flying through the air into a surprised Doyle.  
  
*******************  
  
"Clothes first, then groceries," insisted Cordelia as she manoeuvred Angel past a group of laughing teenage girls and into the mall, she couldn't help but notice how their eyes followed Angel admiringly and her enviously. She smiled to herself, Angel was pretty oblivious to the looks he attracted from both men and women. She had once had a crush on him herself before she discovered what he was, or rather had been and that he was totally, completely and obsessively in love with Buffy.  
  
Her main mission today was to prepare Angel as quickly as possible for his attempt to win Buffy back. He hadn't actually said as much but she knew he wanted to at least try to work things out with his ex even if he didn't have his vampy super-powers to offer her, which Cordelia privately thought Buffy wouldn't actually give a damn about. Although she didn't particularly like Buffy personally she knew Buffy wouldn't be that shallow and would probably always take Angel any safe way she could get him.  
  
Her other mission was to try and get Doyle into some decent clothes. The intense one on one time she had spent with him while Angel had been so ill had opened her eyes to the nice man/demon he was. He just needed some work in the clothing area, his beautiful baby blues and cute smile coupled with his courage, loyalty and caring nature was to die for.  
  
Who'd have thunk it, she mused as she steered Angel towards a quality- clothing store. She'd been sleep deprived and irritable when she got mad with Doyle for his unflappable attitude over Angel's decline and had thrown a pepper shaker at him, the explosion of pepper dust and the resulting sneeze had produced dumbfounding results, results that had resulted in the salt shaker and a couple of pans getting chucked as well.  
  
Once she'd calmed down she had realised that what he was didn't change who he was, and who he was she admitted to herself was the man she was rapidly falling for - badly. As long as he kept the face spike-free and pretty when she got him to kiss her all would be well.  
  
She came to a stop beside a nice display of quite reasonably priced shirts and began the potentially tricky business of weaning Angel from his trademark funereal black and Doyle from his blind-man-in-a-thrift-shop look. She quickly selected two pastel coloured shirts for Angel and ignored his longing look at the darker colours further along.  
  
"This is step one Angel. Stop dressing like a creature of the night during daylight hours. A pale blue or turquoise shirt will not kill you, you can wear it with black or dark grey pants and still look as cool as you would all in black."  
  
Angel accepted the shirts with a grin, "Is black allowed at night then?"  
  
Cordelia just rolled her eyes and turned away. Then turned back. "How much money do you have Angel?"  
  
He smiled, "What have you seen that you like Cordy? You're welcome to a new dress or something for helping me with all this shopping."  
  
"Really? Well, some new shoes would be great but that wasn't why I was asking. I was thinking of Doyle. He's even more of a fashion retard than you are and I'd like to get him a new outfit uh."  
  
".before you ask him on a date." Angel finished with a smirk. At her surprised look he chuckled "I turned human Cordy and believe it or not that didn't include going nuts or blind! Yes I can afford a decent shirt or two for Doyle as well, it's probably a good idea to buy him one actually before his lime green Hawaiian one does make me go blind. Seeing it in full daylight for the first time this afternoon really was scary!"  
  
Laughing together they chose Doyle an elegant royal blue shirt before Cordelia decided it was time for step two and dragged a now slightly less willing Angel towards some blue jeans.  
  
Three and a half hours later they collapsed together in a quiet corner of a coffee shop and placed an order for Cappuccinos and pastries. Cordelia couldn't quite believe that Angel was still happy to be shopping. Most men of her acquaintance would have been whining pathetically to go home long before now but he was still determined to buy himself and her some new shoes and the offer of new shoes was something Cordelia Chase would never, ever argue with.  
  
The blue jeans had been initially hard to slide past him but once he'd realised that they were actually quite comfortable and she had pointed out that all real humans owned at least one pair of jeans he'd quickly agreed to buy them. Then once he'd got going he was quite unstoppable; the perfect shopping partner Cordelia decided with satisfaction as she thought of Angel's now more colourful wardrobe and the new bluish-purple satiny dress, black silk skirt and silver lacy top he'd bought her and the promised pair of shoes still to come. She also had two shirts, one blue, one blue and white pinstripe and a pair of charcoal grey pants for Doyle in her modest collection of bags, which she looked forward to persuading him to wear at some point soon.  
  
It was many hours later when Angel and Cordelia finally wrapped up their marathon shopping expedition. Mountains of clothes were stacked into the trunk of Angel's car and they were now unloading bag after bag of groceries into the rear seat. Both had thoroughly enjoyed themselves to the point of exhaustion and were glad to be going home to share a late supper with Doyle who had stayed at the office to avoid shopping and to keep researching the demon that had resulted in Angel's newfound humanity.  
  
Suddenly a woman screamed from a darkened corner of the parking lot, Cordelia froze and then fumbled in her purse for a stake. Angel however, was already in motion with Cordelia soon in hot pursuit. Two vampires were closing in on a terrified woman who had curled into a whimpering heap on the floor. Angel grabbed a stake from his pocket as he came alongside them and before the vampires could react he plunged the stake into one of them and watched as it exploded into dust. The woman took the opportunity to scramble to her feet and bolt without looking back.  
  
The un-dusty vampire glared evilly at him and lunged forward slamming Angel to the ground, his stake went flying and clattered to the floor. Angel shoved at the vampire expecting to be unable to shift it but to his surprise it flew off him and landed several feet away. The vampire looked as surprised as he felt but it rushed him again and they traded blows. He found himself fighting the vampire as he would have done with his vampiric strength intact and eventually he managed to flip himself over the vampire's head, scoop up the stake and despatch the demon. He stood panting from the exertion and turned to see Cordelia standing wide eyed a few yards away.  
  
Never silent for long Cordelia found her voice "Well, it's not like I've never seen you fight like that before but I can't say I've ever seen a human besides Buffy, Kendra or Faith fight like that before, and since you just became human but aren't a girl."  
  
"Yeah, very weird." Angel said wonderingly.  
  
"Research?" moaned Cordelia.  
  
"Research." Angel agreed heading back towards his car.  
  
"Wonderful. Just Wonderful." Cordelia grumbled as she trailed after him.  
  
"I'll buy you some more shoes." Teased Angel.  
  
*******************  
  
".That's all that I can figure" finished Doyle taking a slurp of beer as he finished outlining what he'd found out about the mystery demon.  
  
"So it was the Mohra's blood that caused it?" Cordelia asked, wanting to make sure she had understood. "The freaky blood of eternity that will cure anything, including death?"  
  
"Seems so princess." Doyle smiled at her.  
  
"But that doesn't explain my unnatural strength." Grumbled Angel.  
  
"Honestly, some people!" Grinned Doyle, "Never satisfied! Seriously Angel, don't go questionin' it. The oracles said you were human and it's permanent and the oracles are never wrong, so just accept it. If extra muscle is a by- product it don't seem like a bad one to me."  
  
"I'm not unhappy Doyle, after all it means I can still fight, which is definitely a good thing. I just wish I knew why."  
  
"Wasn't Buffy hurt in that fight as well?" Cordelia asked suddenly.  
  
"Yeah, a cut on her fore-arm. Not bad at all really but for some reason it bled a lot to start with." Angel replied.  
  
"And she looked at your wound and carried you home and stuff." Cordelia continued.  
  
"Well yeah, what's your point Cordy?"  
  
"I get it," said Doyle suddenly. "You're thinkin' that with a bit of Slayer blood in the mix with our boy Angel's the Mohra's blood got kinda muddled, took awhile to decide what to do and eventually decided that it was healing a slayer?  
  
"I don't think blood is smart enough to have a thought process Doyle."  
  
"Ya know what I mean Princess."  
  
"So I'm like a male slayer?" Angel said slowly, with a broad grin on his face. Me being so ill was my dead human cells and the demon and slayer blood fighting it out for dominance inside me."  
  
"Seems like a pretty logical explanation to me."  
  
"Logical, yukky and freaksome." agreed Cordelia, "How perfect is that!" she added charitably with a broad smile, "Why don't we basically close up shop for a few days, Doyle and I can just hang out, keep an eye on things, go out to dinner, maybe a few clubs and you can go off to Sunnyhell to be Buffy's perfect guy!"  
  
Doyle grinned, happy to go along with any plan that involved him and Cordelia spending time together, especially time alone. "Suits me." He said. "Go on, you deserve it man."  
  
Cordelia beamed "See! Doyle agrees with me, L.A. survived without you for years, I'm sure it can survive a few days or even a week, go on Angel. Go be happy." She paused "Wow! I never thought I'd say that to you!"  
  
Angel smiled at his staff's eager, unsubtle and not entirely altruistic attempts to get rid of him and grinned, "Guess you'd better help me pack Cordy, that way I can leave tomorrow morning."  
  
*******************  
  
Angel smoothly drove his Plymouth into the parking lot outside U.C. Sunnydale and parked in a quiet corner. He felt absolutely terrified. It was only a few days since he'd last seen Buffy and he'd been fairly sure then that she still had feelings for him, but now.  
  
A few minutes later he decided that sitting nervously in his car would achieve him nothing and if he'd understood her babbling correctly a few days ago this would be the most likely time to find her in her dorm. Now he just had to find her dorm.  
  
A few minutes later he had an escort of half a dozen blatantly flirtatious young women slowly walking him towards Stevenson Hall, all wondering if the friend he was visiting was just a friend or more. Cordelia's clothing demands were paying off it seemed. Dark grey pants, black boots and a short- sleeved pale turquoise shirt seemed to be a hit with these girls, he just hoped Buffy would be similarly impressed.  
  
Eventually his escorts delivered him to Stevenson Hall and two of them who roomed there offered to help him find his friend's room. "Uh, Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenburg." A certain un-definable note in his voice as he spoke Buffy's name caused the girls to exchange twin looks of disappointment; all the nice ones were taken. They showed him to the right floor and kindly pointed out her door. He thanked them as they strolled back to their own room, which they acknowledged with cheery calls of "No problem!" Now the rest was up to him.  
  
He half-smiled at himself, nearly two and a half centuries old, former scourge of Europe; too terrified to knock on his ex-girlfriend's door.  
  
He raised his fist and knocked quickly before he could change his mind.  
  
Sounds of movement reached his still keen ears just before an adorably sleepy, yawning Buffy opened the door clad in blue satiny pyjamas. She stared at him, caught mid yawn, then her eyes bulged. "What are you doing here?" she managed to eek out.  
  
Angel grinned and Buffy blinked at the unfamiliar sight, "Well," he began, enjoying her surprise "I remembered that you said you were always at home on Friday mornings because you had no classes so I figured it was a good time to call."  
  
Buffy's mouth was impersonating that of a goldfish as she viewed her ex- boyfriend in disbelief.  
  
"Am I too early?" Angel teased softly. "Should I come back with coffee in half an hour?"  
  
Buffy shot out a hand; snagged a handful of his shirt front in her tiny fist and growled "You go nowhere except into this room until you get me an explanation for the not frying up in the sun business."  
  
Angel shrugged and let himself be dragged into the room, "Suits me. It's quite a long story but I'll give you the short version. Remember the big green demon at Thanksgiving?"  
  
"How could I forget?" Buffy grunted, staring fixedly at Angel, in her bedroom, in sunlight. Her stomach started fluttering in the most peculiar way, surely he wasn't actually about to make her most impossible and favourite dream come true?  
  
"Well, the blood of that breed of demon when mixed into the bloodstream of a vampire has a very interesting effect. It makes us human. Permanently."  
  
Buffy stood and stared. Her formerly demon ex-lover with a nasty curse to go with his demonyness was standing in front of her telling her that her most impossible wish had just been granted. A smile slowly spread over her face, and he wouldn't be here nervously telling her in person if he wasn't hoping for a reunion now would he?  
  
Angel watched the play of emotions across Buffy's face and felt deeply relieved by the slow smile that started small and just spread. He smiled back at her and suddenly he found himself flat on his back on a bed with an armful of warm slayer. She was kissing him frantically, her fingers clutching him tightly and he returned the kiss eagerly, his hands roaming over her back, unable to get enough of her.  
  
Suddenly Buffy sat up, still straddling his hips, planted her hands on his chest and gazed at him in awe, "It's really happening isn't it?" she said in a tiny voice.  
  
Angel slowly sat up and tenderly traced the outline of her beautiful face, "It's real and I'm not going anywhere this time." He vowed.  
  
As if this promise was what she had been waiting for Buffy relaxed and kissed him again. "I love you." She murmured softly as her hands crept up his broad, muscular shoulders, curved possessively round his neck and twined softly into his hair.  
  
Angel gave a sigh of happiness as he brought her even closer to his body and held her there tightly so he could feel every possible part of her body against his. Then his mouth left hers and dipped to the soft skin of her throat, his lips grazed her flesh teasingly and she whimpered with pleasure as he flicked his tongue along her jaw and ear, and shuddered lightly as his breath whispered across the dampened area as he murmured "Always, love." Buffy arched her head back, allowing him access to as much of her flesh as possible. He was not slow to take what she offered, his fingers fumbling in his haste as he unbuttoned her pyjama top but finally he managed to remove it, baring his love to his eyes. Her fingers had been busy too and he found his own shirt eagerly being tugged from his strong body. Their hands rediscovered each other's bodies, revelling in long forbidden caresses.  
  
Despite long time apart they still moved as one, standing up briefly to swiftly remove what was left of each other's clothes and before collapsing again in a tangle of limbs on Buffy's bed.  
  
For the next few hours nothing and no-body else existed for Buffy and Angel. They were lost in the pleasure of each other. They were too deeply absorbed by making love to each other as sweetly as they had done on the night of Buffy's seventeenth birthday but with even more fire and greater passion. The only sounds they made were whimpers and groans of pleasure and the occasional whispered endearment  
  
*******************  
  
Buffy sighed with contentment as she lay with her cheek pressed to his bare chest listening to the steady thud of his heartbeat, then buried her face in his neck and cuddled against him with a little murmur of happiness. Angel hugged her close in return and she promptly squeezed him back so hard that if he hadn't had slayer strength now instead of vampire his ribs probably would've splintered. As it was he had to beg her to relax her grip a little, "Buffy, air sort of an issue for me now."  
  
Buffy promptly let go with a truly horrified look on her face "Oh God Angel! I am so sorry. Guess the whole I need to be more gentle with you now thing hasn't quite sunk in yet. Was I really crushing you?"  
  
Angel shook his head and grinned at her almost comical look of worry "Only my lungs baby. You kissed me before I had the chance to give you the other half of my good news."  
  
"How can there be any more good news today? I think I just used up my good news quota for at least five years!"  
  
"I can truly be an equal partner for you, if you want me. I would have been happy to be with you as an ordinary human, but it's better. I still have my strength. We've decided that I'm basically a male version of the slayer."  
  
"Ohmigod! That was my good news quota for the next seven years just used up now! I'm happy for you Angel, that's most definitely a good thing. I know you, even if you were just human you'd still want to be out there trying to help people and If you were just a man then I'd have to spend every second of my days wondering when you'd get hurt or worse. With you having super powers I won't have so much foundation for my fears and as for wanting you, you silly man! If you look around we're still alone on my bed and if you'll just be quiet for a moment I could start showing you again just how much I want you!"  
  
Angel grinned and relaxed back against the pillows again, "Works for me!" They were the last words spoken again for quite some time.  
  
*******************  
  
Some time later the radio was softly playing a love song and Buffy and Angel were still wrapped up in bed together. Now they were feeding each other spoonfuls of melty ice cream and Buffy was showing Angel the best way to dismember and enjoy an oreo cookie. When she suddenly caught sight of the clock on her bedside table and paled.  
  
"What's wrong Buffy?"  
  
"Ungh! Missed psych class. Again. Professor Walsh will probably torture me when she sees me next! That my love, also means that Willow will shortly be finishing class and coming back to our room and much as she likes us both she really doesn't need to see us like this!"  
  
"Mmm, should probably get dressed then, even if she'll take one look at us and this bed and know what we've been doing all day!"  
  
Reluctantly the two newly reunited lovers disentangled themselves from each other, a tangle of sheets and the leftovers of their bed picnic. It was quite a mess. Buffy suspected her sheets had been smeared with as much chocolately gloop as they had consumed between them. Angel began making efforts to get dressed by pulling on his boxers and pants but Buffy then proceeded to slow the process down by only bothering to pull on some flimsy panties and a tank before curling up in his lap and nibbling his ear when he sat down to try to put his socks on. They were still only half dressed and mid-passionate smooch when Willow breezed into the bedroom.  
  
.Followed by Riley.  
  
Willow froze mid-cheery greeting, the would-be cheery greeting became a strangled squeak and she stopped dead half way between the door and her bed. Riley came to halt behind her and glared angrily at Buffy and Angel. Angel glared angrily back, scooped up his shirt from the floor and wrapped it round a scarlet Buffy who murmured her thanks in a very subdued manner. In her excitement at having a human Angel come to sweep her off her feet she had entirely forgotten about his somewhat inadequate substitute.  
  
She pulled Angel's shirt tightly around her and slowly stood up. "Uh, hi Riley." His glare intensified and she mentally smacked herself upside the head. Not a cool greeting for the guy you just kinda cheated on. She stole a glance at Angel, uh oh. He wasn't looking too happy either.  
  
She stole a glance at Willow who was gawping at the half-dressed Angel who had moved to stand beside her and was standing in full sunlight, reflecting in the closet mirror behind him. She had to smile a little at Willow's unconscious impersonation of a goldfish and wondered if her jaw had dropped that far a few hours earlier. But avoiding the subject couldn't be done unfortunately. Two angry guys were glaring at each other, Buffy winced; she could almost smell the testosterone!  
  
Quickly she turned to Angel; well he was by far the more important of the two men in the room. Softly she told him so the others couldn't hear "You told me to move on and I had a coupla dates with him. But the second you walked back into my life he stopped mattering and it was only you."  
  
Angel smiled slightly. "I understand, but I think you'd better explain that to him."  
  
Buffy turned back to the glowering Riley. Gulp. "Riley I'm really sorry."  
  
"What the hell are you playing at Buffy?! I thought you were a nice girl. Obviously I was wrong!"  
  
Angel stepped forwards with a small growl that no longer sounded as impressive now the demon wasn't there to back it up!  
  
They glared at each other for a minute before Riley snapped "Who are you anyway?"  
  
"Her boyfriend!"  
  
"Well she told me she didn't have a boyfriend!"  
  
Buffy marched between them with as much dignity as she could muster when she was very conscious of not wearing much besides her boyfriend's shirt. "Enough! "Riley I'm sorry. Okay? I promise that I wasn't involved with Angel when I agreed to date you."  
  
Riley's mouth opened as if to argue. But Buffy wasn't having any interruptions and gave him a glare ten times as nasty as anything he could produce and he subsided without speaking.  
  
She continued, "I met Angel years ago when I first moved to Sunnydale and we dated through the whole of high school on and off. We were together a long time and when we split up in June I was devastated. Eventually I came to accept that it was over and honestly believed that our relationship was unfixable so I decided to try and move on, with you Riley. I like you but now there's nothing standing between me and Angel anymore and he's come home for good I just." Buffy trailed off awkwardly.  
  
Riley's frown had lifted somewhat. "Well I guess that's that then." He said softly.  
  
"I really am sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen. It just did and."  
  
".You'd be a fool if you didn't take advantage of it." Riley finished for her wryly.  
  
He looked at Angel. "You're a lucky guy." Then he half smiled at the still slack jawed Willow, nodded at Buffy and slowly walked from the room."  
  
A brief silence followed Riley's exit and then Willow began making a sound resembling Giles' old teakettle boiling madly and started waving her arms about excitedly.  
  
Angel casually looped an arm around Buffy and smiled at Willow's excitement. Buffy beamed up at him too until Willow managed to gain control of herself and dashed across the room to fling her arms round Buffy babbling excitedly, "How? When? Oh Buffy!"  
  
*******************  
  
Explanations had to be delivered to all Buffy's friends and that took quite some time. Although Angel was now human and still a warrior, which now made him an acceptable boyfriend for Buffy it then it had to be explained how that had come to pass. All in all the discussion went on for what seemed like forever and Buffy was more interested in spending time with her newly human boyfriend than discussing how he got that way.  
  
In desperation she faked yawns and declared sudden and intense tiredness which caused some suspicious looks as the sun hadn't even begun to set but eventually they were allowed to leave. Hand in hand they walked to Angel's car and climbed in. As he pulled away from the kerb Angel asked Buffy if she was really tired. A sweet smile and a firmly shaken head was his answer. He turned the car in the direction of the beach.  
  
"Watch the sunset with me?" asked Angel as they arrived and climbed out of the car.  
  
Buffy nodded and dreamily wandered away down the beach.  
  
Angel followed her even more slowly; marvelling at the beauty of the girl he had thought forever lost to him, but was now more truly his than ever before.  
  
As she stopped a few metres from the ocean he caught up with her and slipped his arms around her, holding her closely.  
  
As they stood watching the sun begin to slip over the skyline on the day that marked such great change in their lives Buffy realised that although they hadn't spoken their actions and clothes fitted almost precisely with the hazily remembered dream of them she had had the summer she sent Angel to hell. For a moment she stiffened at the thought of the often-terrible past they had shared but shook the thought off quickly. Their unhappy past was just that - past.  
  
Now had a chance at what they had hardly even dared to dream of.  
  
A Future. Together.  
  
Changes  
  
Disclaimer: For those of you who just arrived on this planet.not mine! Rating: Hmm. I think PG-13 but I wouldn't swear to it. If I'm wrong I'm really sorry, but hey I warned you!  
  
Summary: A rewrite of IWRY originally inspired by Challenge 16 from Sunlight and Shadow, posted by Cynamin on February 14th 2002.  
  
Willow sat cross-legged on her bed hugging a fuzzy cushion tightly to her chest and watched a cranky slayer scrabbling in her untidy closet for clothes to pack for her trip to L.A. A trip ostensibly taken to visit her seldom seen father; but they both knew a certain vampire and his recent lurking in Sunnydale's shadows was the prime motivator for the frenzied clothes hunt and the planned trip. Willow shook her head sadly as Buffy packed a sixth mature-yet-sexy outfit before diving back into the closet.  
  
"Uh Buffy, didn't you say you were only going for two days?"  
  
"How dare he, How dare he, How dare he!" Buffy grumbled under her breath, ignoring Willow's comment as she frantically searched for the skirt she needed to go with her new knee high boots, Angel had always drooled for her in knee high boots. Subtle drool, but drool nonetheless.  
  
I'm being mean and childish, wanting to show him what he's missing she thought, her hand hovering over a short black Lycra skirt that had shrunk in the wash. "But I just got to the stage where I could go a whole ten minutes without thinking about him and he just shows up and makes everything bad again without me even getting to see him!"  
  
The fuzzy cushion flopped to the floor as Willow jumped at this enraged bellow from the depths of the closet. Buffy squeezed her eyes shut in mortification as Willow retrieved the cushion and gently squeezed her shoulder in sympathy.  
  
"Oops" she managed with a forced grin as tears slowly welled up, "just sorta popped out".  
  
"Look Buffy maybe this isn't a good idea" began Willow gently, seeing the now familiar glassy sheen Buffy's eyes took on when confronted with mention or thoughts of Angel, "perhaps you could write him a letter, try to make him understand."  
  
"Nuh-uh" Buffy said emphatically as she marched across the room, headed for the washroom with her chosen outfit and cosmetics, "I have to see him Will," she said a little desperately as she fled their dorm room "I just have to!"  
  
Willow winced at the slam of the door and her friend's misery, she hoped this visit did some good, because however much they all tried to kid themselves Buffy wasn't even halfway over Angel; not by any stretch of anyone's imagination.  
  
*******************  
  
"Okay" Buffy muttered to herself as she stood outside Angel's office "Hair; check, Make-up; check, Clothes; check, Sanity, Uuh, abandoned earlier in the day. What am I doing here? She half turned to walk away but heard his voice say her name; trying not to melt at the beloved sound Buffy weakly summoned up the rage she had felt so strongly earlier and walked towards the open door.  
  
She listened for a moment, realising they were discussing Angel's visit to her town, none of the trio noticed her standing in the doorway until Cordelia unknowingly gave her the perfect opening line. Stepping into the office she fixed Angel with the sternest look she could muster and finished Cordy's sentence ".a little upset, wouldn't you?"  
  
*******************  
  
It had to be possibly the most awkward conversation Buffy had ever endured. It was ridiculous trying to maintain her justifiable anger when all she really wanted to do was fall into his strong arms and beg him to come home. That did succeed in making her angry, why did she have to love him like she did? Why couldn't some nice normal guy, or at least one she could actually spend time with without fearing the end of the world, be the one for her to love so desperately?  
  
She found herself making mean remarks to hide her own hurt but as the sharp words left her mouth and the agony settled on his beautiful face in response, the urge to just cut her tongue out grew. His pain was still her pain. Will was right, she thought; should've written a letter. Abruptly she decided she had to leave before she completely sabotaged the last tiny threads left of their once strong relationship.  
  
She propelled herself towards the door "So, lets just stick to the plan. We'll keep our distance until a lot of time has passed, given enough time we should be able to-"  
  
"Forget" Angel finished sadly.  
  
"Yeah" she agreed miserably. Then, feeling the tears always so near the surface now begin to well up, she turned away "So I'm gonna go, start forgetting" she reached for the door, needing to be elsewhere before she forgot herself, buried her face in his cool, still chest and howled.  
  
Then her plans for a swift and dignified exit were ruined by the abrupt and noisy entry through a window of a big ugly green demon. It was waving a big ugly sword at Angel. Old feelings came back harder. With a frantic screech of "Angel" she waded into the fight, grimly determined to protect her love as she always had before. They struggled together with the demon before it managed to send them both crashing to the floor in a heap, though not before Angel managed to stab it in the leg. As it leapt from the window Buffy found herself in the place she secretly most wanted to be, smushed against Angel's hard chest, but not in reality she thought, hastily wriggling away and getting to her feet. To cover her confusion at being pressed so close, so unexpectedly she found herself deciding loudly that the demon was rude and they should go kill it. Then before she could decide that it was in fact a very bad plan Angel was agreeing with her and showing her a place to change.  
  
*******************  
  
"I've lost my mind," she mumbled to herself as she went to join Angel at the access to the sewer tunnel under his building. Then she had the unsought opportunity to shamelessly ogle his very nice behind and tautly muscled thighs as he bent over examining the contents of a Weapons chest. The choked off gurgle she made at the forbidden sight drew Angel's Attention and he turned to offer her a wickedly sharp and handsomely made sword, seemingly unaware of his ex-girlfriend's bad, lusty thoughts. Buffy automatically took the sword to cover up that she hadn't heard a word of what he'd just said, too busy drooling to listen. She had planned to simply take her stake as she knew best how to handle it, but having accepted the sword she'd look weird handing it back. Besides, she could handle a sword too and this one was a beauty. She took a minute to try it out and get used to the weight before they entered the tunnels.  
  
Tracking the demon through the tunnels was so eerily like old times for the two of them that she found herself slipping between comfortable silence and blissful ease in Angel's presence to spurts of nervous babble about college and friends and then nearly unleashing a full on slayer assault on an unsuspecting, un-dangerous rodent. After that mistake she forced herself to calm down.  
  
Eventually Angel lost the trail he had followed from the demon's blood and they stood staring uncertainly at a tunnel and a shaft.  
  
"What if it went up?"  
  
"Into the day, where it knows I can't follow."  
  
"But I can."  
  
Buffy had just pretty much decided that it would be best for both of them if they went after the demon separately, mainly because the whole situation was starting to make her crazy, when Angel's keen ears caught a faint scraping sound from further down the tunnel. He edged forward like a bloodhound, battleaxe at the ready, his delicate nose finally catching the faintest whiff of demon blood over the strong aroma of sewer.  
  
He leapt forwards, heading down the tunnel; Buffy sprang off the ladder she had begun to climb and pounded after him. The demon was wounded but didn't seem to be struggling too badly. Buffy felt quite glad for a split second that she hadn't sent Angel to face it alone, then she was dodging the expert sweep of it's sword and fighting back as hard as she could. She thrust forwards with her sword as Angel hacked with his battleaxe, this demon was as slippery as they came; somehow it was behind her now. How the hell did it move so fast? It knocked Angel backwards, slamming him into the wall, slashing his belly. For the second time that day her heart took hold of her voice and she screeched his name in a panic.  
  
Her fighting was faster now, more deadly. She was fighting for the man she loved, as she always had "Nobody messes with my boyfriend." This demon was going to be very sorry, or hopefully just very dead.  
  
Buffy launched into a complicated series of twists and lunges, trying to catch the demon warrior off guard. She scored a hit on its shoulder, temporarily feeling better, but the pain just seemed to enrage it to greater strength and speed. Its blade flashed past her defence slicing lightly along her arm. Stifling the yelp of pain that rose she maintained her grip on the sword with difficulty, blood ran down her arm, trickling over her fingers, making the hilt slick. With the next thrust she parried the sword flew from her fingers, her back was against the wall now, literally. The Irony struck her, she didn't get to live with Angel but she was going to get to die with him it seemed. She looked towards where he had fallen but instead of lying helplessly he was.  
  
.Winking and sliding his axe across the floor? Buffy threw herself sideways, snatched up the axe and embedded it in the surprised demon's forehead. It slumped forwards bleeding florescent green ooze profusely all over her new white pullover before it disintegrated much in the manner of vampires. "Oh now it does the clean up" she grumbled sarcastically looking down at herself in disgust as she hurried to Angel's side. He was struggling to sit up, Buffy stretched out gore-covered hands to stop him. Her blood and the big ugly green guy's blood mingled with the blood leaking from Angel's belly.  
  
"Ooh, sorry" Buffy told Angel as he grimaced in pain and at the state of her hands. She hastily wiped them on her favourite black pants, scowling at the thought of her dry-cleaning/shopping bill. Eventually she had satisfied herself that Angel would be fine again, at some distant point in time and was just about capable of struggling home and hauled him to his feet.  
  
*******************  
  
Buffy staggered through the door of Angel's apartment and deposited him heavily on the kitchen table, sending a bowl and other items crashing noisily to the ground, besides the floor it was the nearest flat surface, and she wasn't convinced she would be able to pick him up again from there.  
  
Hurrying into the bathroom she rummaged until she found a large first aid box, grabbing it and a towel from the rack she rushed back to attend to him to find Cordelia and Doyle already there fussing over Angel.  
  
"I should've known," screeched Cordelia. "Nothing good ever comes of Buffy and Angel being around each other."  
  
"Yeah I hired the big ugly to beat us both up, I figured a near death experience might be a kinda fun way to spend the holiday." Buffy shot back sarcastically.  
  
Cordelia folded her arms and glared "It didn't happen until you showed up."  
  
"How am I supposed to stop evil things being evil and attacking us? Huh? Should I just say 'oh I'm sorry not today that'll prove Cordelia's little theory that I'm just trouble' think that'll work?"  
  
"Uh, Ladies," put in Doyle uncomfortably "Angel's kinda lying' here bleedin' and you're having' a catfight, could we maybe ."  
  
Buffy and Cordelia ended their standoff shamefacedly and hastily went about helping Doyle attend to the wounded Angel.  
  
*******************  
  
"I'm glad you're gonna be okay," Buffy said sincerely as she stood beside Angel's bed, preparing to leave. If she left soon she could still get to spend some time with her dad, the purported reason for her trip; before she had to head back to good ol' Sunnyhell. "I'm so sorry you got hurt." She added a trifle guiltily.  
  
"It wasn't your fault so don't even think it." Angel told her gently, he reached for her hand and she let him take it, cherishing the small contact.  
  
"Perhaps us seeing each other wasn't a great idea," he told her softly "but I was glad to see you all the same."  
  
"I know," she breathed, then before she changed her mind she bent, brushed a feather-light kiss to his cheek and walked away.  
  
Angel lay silently after she had gone. Unsure whether to laugh or cry, she still cared for him no matter that her life had moved on, that much was clear; which had his battered heart soaring with happiness, but for them to always have to part was just too much misery to easily bear. Angel lay in his silent room and shed silent tears for the love he could never have again.  
  
*******************  
  
"Shouldn't he be better and all grr again by now?" demanded Cordelia impatiently as she paced beside Angel's bed.  
  
Doyle frowned uneasily "In a word Princess, Yeah, he should be."  
  
"So do something, like have a vision about how to cure Angel."  
  
"It's not that simple Delia." He said softly, looking down at his unconscious and slightly feverish boss "Not that simple at all."  
  
*******************  
  
Buffy chuckled politely at the semi-funny joke the cute blond guy she was having coffee with had just made and nodded her assent to his offer of another cup. As he made his way to the counter her smile died. What was she doing here? Her Psych TA was a nice guy; he didn't need to be having coffee with a slayer too busy brooding over her vampire ex-lover to give him a real chance to win her heart. She was attracted to his sunny good looks and smiling face, she genuinely liked his sweet nature and gentle humour, If she'd met him before Angel she probably would've thought her birthday and Christmas had come at once but now when it came to the crunch he simply wasn't Angel and that was all there was to it.  
  
Angel was gone though, and now she understood his reasons for leaving a little better she could see his point, they could never and would never have a real relationship ever again. A sharp pain twisted deep inside of her, it shouldn't hurt that much she whimpered to herself, not like that. The pain slowly subsided. Time to move on she sighed, trying to push Angel into the darkest most hidden corner of her heart, where he always refused to stay. She smiled up at Riley as he returned. Time to get on with what she could have. It wasn't his fault he wasn't Angel.  
  
*******************  
  
Angel's apartment was a disaster area. Doyle and Cordelia had both pretty much moved in over the past two days and neither was renowned for their tidiness at the best of times. Much of the mess came from discarded bandages, books with demony content, barely touched meals, dirty coffee mugs and bloodstained clothes. Pretty much the usual mess of two friends whose vampire boss and buddy slowly seemed to be dying - and violently refusing his dinner. It was no wonder Doyle and Cordelia weren't inclined towards cleaning.  
  
They sat together; keeping a loyal vigil over him, carefully researching through his stacks of books for some clue to save him; Angel would have appreciated their care, if he'd been conscious.  
  
Cordelia stretched, dumped her book on the floor and grabbed a semi-clean mug to fetch more coffee. Doyle waved a mug at her without taking his eyes off the page.  
  
Cordelia asked him a touch irritably, "Did you find something?"  
  
Doyle raised tired blue eyes to her face, "Maybe, Princess." He told her as she accepted the mug with hope flaring in her eyes, "Maybe."  
  
Just then Angel's body twitched and his eyelids fluttered, Cordelia pressed forwards expectantly, hopeful that her friend was going to wake up now and be okay, Doyle looked hopeful too until Angel's body stretched as taut as a bow string and then began to spasm. His eyes jerked open staring unseeing at the ceiling as his body helplessly jolted back and forth.  
  
"Ohmigod he's really dying," snuffled Cordelia helplessly "I should've told Buffy, she should've been here."  
  
"Ya don't even like Buffy though," Doyle said a little incredulously, moving the short distance to Angel's side.  
  
"That's not the point," Cordelia sniffled at him from the other side of the thrashing Angel "He loves her and well, she loves him."  
  
Angel abruptly calmed and lay still.  
  
"Is he gonna die now?" asked Cordelia in horror.  
  
Doyle stretched out a hand to touch Angel's heaving chest, and a grin slowly spread across his face. "No Delia Darlin', he's gonna live, and when I say live. I mean live." At Cordelia's uncomprehending look he grabbed her hand and guided it to Angel's warm chest so she could feel the steady Thump, thump. Thump, thump.  
  
*******************  
  
"Thank you for a lovely evening Riley."  
  
"My pleasure, I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I did. Perhaps we could go out again sometime?"  
  
Buffy smiled at him, her face ached with smiling "That'd be nice."  
  
Riley beamed at her, "Great. Soon I hope."  
  
"Sure, not tomorrow or Thursday but I'm totally free on Friday, is that okay?"  
  
Riley's smile got wider, "I'll look forward to it."  
  
He leaned forward and kissed her, his lips were soft and warm and Buffy let herself relax into the brief kiss.  
  
"See you soon," he said backing away down the hallway "Sleep well Buffy."  
  
"Yeah, night Riley."  
  
Buffy shut the door and slumped against it.  
  
"So, did you have a good time?" Willow chirped from her bed where she lay with her laptop computer.  
  
Buffy shook off the weird feeling she was having "Actually, yeah I did." She said surprising herself with the truth "Riley's a really nice guy."  
  
"So you had a good time, are you going out with him again? I need gossip and I need it now!"  
  
Buffy smiled and grabbed them both a soda and some chips. Willow shuffled her laptop to the floor and made room for Buffy beside her. They settled in happily to dissect Buffy's successful date.  
  
*******************  
  
"Thanks Cordy." Angel said gratefully as she passed him a large cup of coffee, a huge chicken, mayo and salad sub, a sack of cookies and a slab of chocolate fudge cake - all swiftly bought from the deli when he had clambered energetically out of bed twenty minutes earlier announcing he was starving.  
  
"That was some impressive recovery Angel." Cordelia said as she settled down in the chair opposite him, nibbling the smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel she had ordered for herself.  
  
Doyle agreed from his seat next to Cordelia "Yeah man, had us really worried for a good bit and then, bam, you're all human."  
  
".And vacuuming up your dinner in a deeply gross way," added Cordelia wrinkling her nose, disgusted at Angel's lack of table manners.  
  
Doyle paused in his attack on the steak sandwich he was efficiently disposing of to say jokingly, "Give the man a break Delia, he hasn't eaten for two and a half centuries!"  
  
Angel swallowed the last huge bite of his sandwich with difficulty, wiped gobs of mayo from his chin and grinned widely at his friends. "Sorry guys but I really was hungry and I'd forgotten how good it all tastes when you're alive."  
  
Doyle and Cordelia grinned back happily as Angel began to eat the cake at a slightly slower pace. "Uhm Chocolate! Chocolate cake! I love chocolate!"  
  
"Angel," said Cordelia smiling, "You're gonna love grocery shopping!"  
  
"Yeah," agreed Doyle "Many millions of new and excitin' things for ya to try out."  
  
".And get fat on," finished Cordelia, watching fascinated as the cake vanished too and Angel dragged the sack of cookies towards him "Y'know I think you'll find you can get all saggy now if you eat too many of them."  
  
Angel swallowed the last crumbs of his third cookie and grimaced "Yeah, and now my stomach's killing me."  
  
Cordelia rolled her eyes, "Well duh, you kinda inhaled all that, what did you expect?!"  
  
Angel slumped back in his chair, "I dunno Cordy, I mean, I haven't been human for a very long time; I think I've probably forgotten how and even if I hadn't an eighteenth century Irish nobleman and a twentieth century American regular Joe are totally different. I couldn't go back to being the man I was, even if I wanted to. A century and a half of mayhem and bloodshed and a century of guilt and misery pretty much wiped away the idle fool I once was."  
  
"Even human he broods," groaned Cordelia disbelievingly.  
  
"Yeah man, C'mon be happy, this can be a good thing. Okay, so you need time before you re-join regular human society, that's fine. Cordelia and me will help ya with that."  
  
Cordelia delicately raised an eyebrow at him as she sipped her cappuccino.  
  
"Okay," Doyle admitted "it'll mostly be Cordelia doing the helping, but still, believe me when I say that even as a vampire there were plenty of so- called humans out there less human than you."  
  
"Thanks guys, that means a lot," Angel choked out with a watery smile as he rubbed his uncomfortable stomach.  
  
Doyle just smiled as Cordelia chirped "No worries Angel, we're totally here for you to give you all the help you could possibly need. Uh, you're not gonna barf now are you? cos if you are you're so on your own."  
  
At this typically Cordelia remark Angel temporarily forgot his fears, shook his head and chuckled.  
  
*******************  
  
Later when Cordelia had gone home to finally get some sleep he voiced his worries to Doyle about the possibility of his humanity being a temporary thing.  
  
Doyle sat silently for a moment gathering his thoughts. "It's possible that the oracles might be able to help. I've never met em meself but you could go an ask a question bout things like this."  
  
"So what are we waiting for?" Angel asked scrambling to his feet and heading for the stairs, "lets go ask the oracles."  
  
Doyle followed him shaking his head; a visit to the oracles wasn't his idea of fun.  
  
A short while later Angel found himself standing in a chamber strangely positioned beneath the post office facing an arched doorway while Doyle performed the ritual they hoped would gain his entry.  
  
As the doorway became a glowing portal Doyle said "Remember Man, The oracles have a reputation for being' funny, finicky creatures. Ya get in. Ask your question, thank em nice and get out or don't be surprised that they turn ya into a toad or summat."  
  
Angel nodded and stepped into the portal. Finding himself a second later standing in a Greek temple facing two blue and gold humanoids wearing togas. He blinked disbelievingly but the strange vision didn't budge.  
  
The male figure addressed him pompously, "You come before us lower being?"  
  
The female chimed in "What have you brought us?"  
  
Angel groaned inwardly knowing that Doyle hadn't been altogether sure of the ritual for this "Was I supposed to?"  
  
"You call us forth and bring no offering?" said the male sounding even more disapproving than before.  
  
Angel hastily ran a mental inventory of his possessions for something he could give these two without causing offence and quickly removed his watch and held it out towards them "I bring this," he offered.  
  
Immediately it was whisked from his fingers and alighted in the hands of the female who smiled happily, "I like time, there is so little and so much of it."  
  
The male was still impatient, "Well?"  
  
Remembering Doyle's advice about cranky oracles Angel asked quickly "What's happened to me?"  
  
The female replied, "You are no longer a vampire."  
  
The male nodded in agreement "Yes, you are a human now."  
  
Angel breathed a sigh of relief that was one worry down, two to go. "I'm not poisoned or under a spell or something?" He asked swiftly before the oracles lost what little patience they seemed to possess.  
  
The blue and gold duo wandered closer and seemed to consider this.  
  
Angel held his breath waiting anxiously for their reply.  
  
Finally the Male inclined his head slightly and told him simply "No." Then turned and mounted the steps behind him.  
  
"So it's permanent?" Angel said hopefully and received a curt nod in reply.  
  
The female chimed in, "If it happened it was meant to be." Then she too turned away and walked up the steps.  
  
Angel smiled, hardly able to believe his good fortune "That's it? I'm human now?"  
  
The oracles seemed to finally get fed up with him and with a brief nod from the female and a wave of the male's arm he found himself flying through the air into a surprised Doyle.  
  
*******************  
  
"Clothes first, then groceries," insisted Cordelia as she manoeuvred Angel past a group of laughing teenage girls and into the mall, she couldn't help but notice how their eyes followed Angel admiringly and her enviously. She smiled to herself; Angel was pretty oblivious to the looks he attracted from both men and women. She had once had a crush on him herself before she discovered what he was, or rather had been and that he was totally, completely and obsessively in love with Buffy.  
  
Her main mission today was to prepare Angel as quickly as possible for his attempt to win Buffy back. He hadn't actually said as much but she knew he wanted to at least try to work things out with his ex even if he didn't have his vampy super-powers to offer her, which Cordelia privately thought Buffy wouldn't actually give a damn about. Although she didn't particularly like Buffy personally she knew Buffy wouldn't be that shallow and would probably always take Angel any safe way she could get him.  
  
Her other mission was to try and get Doyle into some decent clothes. The intense one on one time she had spent with him while Angel had been so ill had opened her eyes to the nice man/demon he was. He just needed some work in the clothing area, his beautiful baby blues and cute smile coupled with his courage, loyalty and caring nature was to die for.  
  
Who'd have thunk it, she mused as she steered Angel towards a quality- clothing store. She'd been sleep deprived and irritable when she got mad with Doyle for his unflappable attitude over Angel's decline and had thrown a pepper shaker at him, the explosion of pepper dust and the resulting sneeze had produced dumbfounding results, results that had resulted in the salt shaker and a couple of pans getting chucked as well.  
  
Once she'd calmed down she had realised that what he was didn't change who he was, and who he was she admitted to herself was the man she was rapidly falling for - badly. As long as he kept the face spike-free and pretty when she got him to kiss her all would be well.  
  
She came to a stop beside a nice display of quite reasonably priced shirts and began the potentially tricky business of weaning Angel from his trademark funereal black and Doyle from his blind-man-in-a-thrift-shop look. She quickly selected two pastel coloured shirts for Angel and ignored his longing look at the darker colours further along.  
  
"This is step one Angel. Stop dressing like a creature of the night during daylight hours. A pale blue or turquoise shirt will not kill you, you can wear it with black or dark grey pants and still look as cool as you would all in black."  
  
Angel accepted the shirts with a grin, "Is black allowed at night then?"  
  
Cordelia just rolled her eyes and turned away. Then turned back. "How much money do you have Angel?"  
  
He smiled, "What have you seen that you like Cordy? You're welcome to a new dress or something for helping me with all this shopping."  
  
"Really? Well, some new shoes would be great but that wasn't why I was asking. I was thinking of Doyle. He's even more of a fashion retard than you are and I'd like to get him a new outfit uh."  
  
".before you ask him on a date." Angel finished with a smirk. At her surprised look he chuckled "I turned human Cordy and believe it or not that didn't include going nuts or blind! Yes I can afford a decent shirt or two for Doyle as well, it's probably a good idea to buy him one actually before his lime green Hawaiian one does make me go blind. Seeing it in full daylight for the first time this afternoon really was scary!"  
  
Laughing together they chose Doyle an elegant royal blue shirt before Cordelia decided it was time for step two and dragged a now slightly less willing Angel towards some blue jeans.  
  
Three and a half hours later they collapsed together in a quiet corner of a coffee shop and placed an order for Cappuccinos and pastries. Cordelia couldn't quite believe that Angel was still happy to be shopping. Most men of her acquaintance would have been whining pathetically to go home long before now but he was still determined to buy himself and her some new shoes and the offer of new shoes was something Cordelia Chase would never, ever argue with.  
  
The blue jeans had been initially hard to slide past him but once he'd realised that they were actually quite comfortable and she had pointed out that all real humans owned at least one pair of jeans he'd quickly agreed to buy them. Then once he'd got going he was quite unstoppable; the perfect shopping partner Cordelia decided with satisfaction as she thought of Angel's now more colourful wardrobe and the new bluish-purple satiny dress, black silk skirt and silver lacy top he'd bought her and the promised pair of shoes still to come. She also had two shirts, one blue, one blue and white pinstripe and a pair of charcoal grey pants for Doyle in her modest collection of bags, which she looked forward to persuading him to wear at some point soon.  
  
It was many hours later when Angel and Cordelia finally wrapped up their marathon shopping expedition. Mountains of clothes were stacked into the trunk of Angel's car and they were now unloading bag after bag of groceries into the rear seat. Both had thoroughly enjoyed themselves to the point of exhaustion and were glad to be going home to share a late supper with Doyle who had stayed at the office to avoid shopping and to keep researching the demon that had resulted in Angel's newfound humanity.  
  
Suddenly a woman screamed from a darkened corner of the parking lot, Cordelia froze and then fumbled in her purse for a stake. Angel however, was already in motion with Cordelia soon in hot pursuit. Two vampires were closing in on a terrified woman who had curled into a whimpering heap on the floor. Angel grabbed a stake from his pocket as he came alongside them and before the vampires could react he plunged the stake into one of them and watched as it exploded into dust. The woman took the opportunity to scramble to her feet and bolt without looking back.  
  
The un-dusty vampire glared evilly at him and lunged forward slamming Angel to the ground; his stake went flying and clattered to the floor. Angel shoved at the vampire expecting to be unable to shift it but to his surprise it flew off him and landed several feet away. The vampire looked as surprised as he felt but it rushed him again and they traded blows. He found himself fighting the vampire as he would have done with his vampiric strength intact and eventually he managed to flip himself over the vampire's head, scoop up the stake and despatch the demon. He stood panting from the exertion and turned to see Cordelia standing wide eyed a few yards away.  
  
Never silent for long Cordelia found her voice "Well, it's not like I've never seen you fight like that before but I can't say I've ever seen a human besides Buffy, Kendra or Faith fight like that before, and since you just became human but aren't a girl."  
  
"Yeah, very weird." Angel said wonderingly.  
  
"Research?" moaned Cordelia.  
  
"Research." Angel agreed heading back towards his car.  
  
"Wonderful. Just Wonderful." Cordelia grumbled as she trailed after him.  
  
"I'll buy you some more shoes." Teased Angel.  
  
*******************  
  
".That's all that I can figure" finished Doyle taking a slurp of beer as he finished outlining what he'd found out about the mystery demon.  
  
"So it was the Mohra's blood that caused it?" Cordelia asked, wanting to make sure she had understood. "The freaky blood of eternity that will cure anything, including death?"  
  
"Seems so princess." Doyle smiled at her.  
  
"But that doesn't explain my unnatural strength." Grumbled Angel.  
  
"Honestly, some people!" Grinned Doyle, "Never satisfied! Seriously Angel, don't go questionin' it. The oracles said you were human and it's permanent and the oracles are never wrong, so just accept it. If extra muscle is a by- product it don't seem like a bad one to me."  
  
"I'm not unhappy Doyle, after all it means I can still fight, which is definitely a good thing. I just wish I knew why."  
  
"Wasn't Buffy hurt in that fight as well?" Cordelia asked suddenly.  
  
"Yeah, a cut on her fore-arm. Not bad at all really but for some reason it bled a lot to start with." Angel replied.  
  
"And she looked at your wound and carried you home and stuff." Cordelia continued.  
  
"Well yeah, what's your point Cordy?"  
  
"I get it," said Doyle suddenly. "You're thinkin' that with a bit of Slayer blood in the mix with our boy Angel's the Mohra's blood got kinda muddled, took awhile to decide what to do and eventually decided that it was healing a slayer?  
  
"I don't think blood is smart enough to have a thought process Doyle."  
  
"Ya know what I mean Princess."  
  
"So I'm like a male slayer?" Angel said slowly, with a broad grin on his face. Me being so ill was my dead human cells and the demon and slayer blood fighting it out for dominance inside me."  
  
"Seems like a pretty logical explanation to me."  
  
"Logical, yukky and freaksome." agreed Cordelia, "How perfect is that!" she added charitably with a broad smile, "Why don't we basically close up shop for a few days, Doyle and I can just hang out, keep an eye on things, go out to dinner, maybe a few clubs and you can go off to Sunnyhell to be Buffy's perfect guy!"  
  
Doyle grinned, happy to go along with any plan that involved him and Cordelia spending time together, especially time alone. "Suits me." He said. "Go on, you deserve it man."  
  
Cordelia beamed "See! Doyle agrees with me, L.A. survived without you for years, I'm sure it can survive a few days or even a week, go on Angel. Go be happy." She paused "Wow! I never thought I'd say that to you!"  
  
Angel smiled at his staff's eager, unsubtle and not entirely altruistic attempts to get rid of him and grinned, "Guess you'd better help me pack Cordy, that way I can leave tomorrow morning."  
  
*******************  
  
Angel smoothly drove his Plymouth into the parking lot outside U.C. Sunnydale and parked in a quiet corner. He felt absolutely terrified. It was only a few days since he'd last seen Buffy and he'd been fairly sure then that she still had feelings for him, but now.  
  
A few minutes later he decided that sitting nervously in his car would achieve him nothing and if he'd understood her babbling correctly a few days ago this would be the most likely time to find her in her dorm. Now he just had to find her dorm.  
  
A few minutes later he had an escort of half a dozen blatantly flirtatious young women slowly walking him towards Stevenson Hall, all wondering if the friend he was visiting was just a friend or more. Cordelia's clothing demands were paying off it seemed. Dark grey pants, black boots and a short- sleeved pale turquoise shirt seemed to be a hit with these girls; he just hoped Buffy would be similarly impressed.  
  
Eventually his escorts delivered him to Stevenson Hall and two of them who roomed there offered to help him find his friend's room. "Uh, Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenburg." A certain un-definable note in his voice as he spoke Buffy's name caused the girls to exchange twin looks of disappointment; all the nice ones were taken. They showed him to the right floor and kindly pointed out her door. He thanked them as they strolled back to their own room, which they acknowledged with cheery calls of "No problem!" Now the rest was up to him.  
  
He half-smiled at himself, nearly two and a half centuries old, former scourge of Europe; too terrified to knock on his ex-girlfriend's door.  
  
He raised his fist and knocked quickly before he could change his mind.  
  
Sounds of movement reached his still keen ears just before an adorably sleepy, yawning Buffy opened the door clad in blue satiny pyjamas. She stared at him, caught mid yawn, then her eyes bulged. "What are you doing here?" she managed to eek out.  
  
Angel grinned and Buffy blinked at the unfamiliar sight, "Well," he began, enjoying her surprise "I remembered that you said you were always at home on Friday mornings because you had no classes so I figured it was a good time to call."  
  
Buffy's mouth was impersonating that of a goldfish as she viewed her ex- boyfriend in disbelief.  
  
"Am I too early?" Angel teased softly. "Should I come back with coffee in half an hour?"  
  
Buffy shot out a hand; snagged a handful of his shirt front in her tiny fist and growled "You go nowhere except into this room until you get me an explanation for the not frying up in the sun business."  
  
Angel shrugged and let himself be dragged into the room, "Suits me. It's quite a long story but I'll give you the short version. Remember the big green demon at Thanksgiving?"  
  
"How could I forget?" Buffy grunted, staring fixedly at Angel, in her bedroom, in sunlight. Her stomach started fluttering in the most peculiar way, surely he wasn't actually about to make her most impossible and favourite dream come true?  
  
"Well, the blood of that breed of demon when mixed into the bloodstream of a vampire has a very interesting effect. It makes us human. Permanently."  
  
Buffy stood and stared. Her formerly demon ex-lover with a nasty curse to go with his demonyness was standing in front of her telling her that her most impossible wish had just been granted. A smile slowly spread over her face, and he wouldn't be here nervously telling her in person if he wasn't hoping for a reunion now would he?  
  
Angel watched the play of emotions across Buffy's face and felt deeply relieved by the slow smile that started small and just spread. He smiled back at her and suddenly he found himself flat on his back on a bed with an armful of warm slayer. She was kissing him frantically, her fingers clutching him tightly and he returned the kiss eagerly, his hands roaming over her back, unable to get enough of her.  
  
Suddenly Buffy sat up, still straddling his hips, planted her hands on his chest and gazed at him in awe, "It's really happening isn't it?" she said in a tiny voice.  
  
Angel slowly sat up and tenderly traced the outline of her beautiful face, "It's real and I'm not going anywhere this time." He vowed.  
  
As if this promise was what she had been waiting for Buffy relaxed and kissed him again. "I love you." She murmured softly as her hands crept up his broad, muscular shoulders, curved possessively round his neck and twined softly into his hair.  
  
Angel gave a sigh of happiness as he brought her even closer to his body and held her there tightly so he could feel every possible part of her body against his. Then his mouth left hers and dipped to the soft skin of her throat, his lips grazed her flesh teasingly and she whimpered with pleasure as he flicked his tongue along her jaw and ear, and shuddered lightly as his breath whispered across the dampened area as he murmured "Always, love." Buffy arched her head back, allowing him access to as much of her flesh as possible. He was not slow to take what she offered, his fingers fumbling in his haste as he unbuttoned her pyjama top but finally he managed to remove it, baring his love to his eyes. Her fingers had been busy too and he found his own shirt eagerly being tugged from his strong body. Their hands rediscovered each other's bodies, revelling in long forbidden caresses.  
  
Despite long time apart they still moved as one, standing up briefly to swiftly remove what was left of each other's clothes and before collapsing again in a tangle of limbs on Buffy's bed.  
  
For the next few hours nothing and no-body else existed for Buffy and Angel. They were lost in the pleasure of each other. They were too deeply absorbed by making love to each other as sweetly as they had done on the night of Buffy's seventeenth birthday but with even more fire and greater passion. The only sounds they made were whimpers and groans of pleasure and the occasional whispered endearment  
  
*******************  
  
Buffy sighed with contentment as she lay with her cheek pressed to his bare chest listening to the steady thud of his heartbeat, then buried her face in his neck and cuddled against him with a little murmur of happiness. Angel hugged her close in return and she promptly squeezed him back so hard that if he hadn't had slayer strength now instead of vampire his ribs probably would've splintered. As it was he had to beg her to relax her grip a little, "Buffy, air sort of an issue for me now."  
  
Buffy promptly let go with a truly horrified look on her face "Oh God Angel! I am so sorry. Guess the whole I need to be more gentle with you now thing hasn't quite sunk in yet. Was I really crushing you?"  
  
Angel shook his head and grinned at her almost comical look of worry "Only my lungs baby. You kissed me before I had the chance to give you the other half of my good news."  
  
"How can there be any more good news today? I think I just used up my good news quota for at least five years!"  
  
"I can truly be an equal partner for you, if you want me. I would have been happy to be with you as an ordinary human, but it's better. I still have my strength. We've decided that I'm basically a male version of the slayer."  
  
"Ohmigod! That was my good news quota for the next seven years just used up now! I'm happy for you Angel, that's most definitely a good thing. I know you, even if you were just human you'd still want to be out there trying to help people and If you were just a man then I'd have to spend every second of my days wondering when you'd get hurt or worse. With you having super powers I won't have so much foundation for my fears and as for wanting you, you silly man! If you look around we're still alone on my bed and if you'll just be quiet for a moment I could start showing you again just how much I want you!"  
  
Angel grinned and relaxed back against the pillows again, "Works for me!" They were the last words spoken again for quite some time.  
  
*******************  
  
Some time later the radio was softly playing a love song and Buffy and Angel were still wrapped up in bed together. Now they were feeding each other spoonfuls of melty ice cream and Buffy was showing Angel the best way to dismember and enjoy an oreo cookie. When she suddenly caught sight of the clock on her bedside table and paled.  
  
"What's wrong Buffy?"  
  
"Ungh! Missed psych class. Again. Professor Walsh will probably torture me when she sees me next! That my love, also means that Willow will shortly be finishing class and coming back to our room and much as she likes us both she really doesn't need to see us like this!"  
  
"Mmm, should probably get dressed then, even if she'll take one look at us and this bed and know what we've been doing all day!"  
  
Reluctantly the two newly reunited lovers disentangled themselves from each other, a tangle of sheets and the leftovers of their bed picnic. It was quite a mess. Buffy suspected her sheets had been smeared with as much chocolately gloop as they had consumed between them. Angel began making efforts to get dressed by pulling on his boxers and pants but Buffy then proceeded to slow the process down by only bothering to pull on some flimsy panties and a tank before curling up in his lap and nibbling his ear when he sat down to try to put his socks on. They were still only half dressed and mid-passionate smooch when Willow breezed into the bedroom.  
  
.Followed by Riley.  
  
Willow froze mid-cheery greeting, the would-be cheery greeting became a strangled squeak and she stopped dead half way between the door and her bed. Riley came to halt behind her and glared angrily at Buffy and Angel. Angel glared angrily back, scooped up his shirt from the floor and wrapped it round a scarlet Buffy who murmured her thanks in a very subdued manner. In her excitement at having a human Angel come to sweep her off her feet she had entirely forgotten about his somewhat inadequate substitute.  
  
She pulled Angel's shirt tightly around her and slowly stood up. "Uh, hi Riley." His glare intensified and she mentally smacked herself upside the head. Not a cool greeting for the guy you just kinda cheated on. She stole a glance at Angel, uh oh. He wasn't looking too happy either.  
  
She stole a glance at Willow who was gawping at the half-dressed Angel who had moved to stand beside her and was standing in full sunlight, reflecting in the closet mirror behind him. She had to smile a little at Willow's unconscious impersonation of a goldfish and wondered if her jaw had dropped that far a few hours earlier. But avoiding the subject couldn't be done unfortunately. Two angry guys were glaring at each other, Buffy winced; she could almost smell the testosterone!  
  
Quickly she turned to Angel; well he was by far the more important of the two men in the room. Softly she told him so the others couldn't hear "You told me to move on and I had a coupla dates with him. But the second you walked back into my life he stopped mattering and it was only you."  
  
Angel smiled slightly. "I understand, but I think you'd better explain that to him."  
  
Buffy turned back to the glowering Riley. Gulp. "Riley I'm really sorry."  
  
"What the hell are you playing at Buffy?! I thought you were a nice girl. Obviously I was wrong!"  
  
Angel stepped forwards with a small growl that no longer sounded as impressive now the demon wasn't there to back it up!  
  
They glared at each other for a minute before Riley snapped "Who are you anyway?"  
  
"Her boyfriend!"  
  
"Well she told me she didn't have a boyfriend!"  
  
Buffy marched between them with as much dignity as she could muster when she was very conscious of not wearing much besides her boyfriend's shirt. "Enough! "Riley I'm sorry. Okay? I promise that I wasn't involved with Angel when I agreed to date you."  
  
Riley's mouth opened as if to argue. But Buffy wasn't having any interruptions and gave him a glare ten times as nasty as anything he could produce and he subsided without speaking.  
  
She continued, "I met Angel years ago when I first moved to Sunnydale and we dated through the whole of high school on and off. We were together a long time and when we split up in June I was devastated. Eventually I came to accept that it was over and honestly believed that our relationship was unfixable so I decided to try and move on, with you Riley. I like you but now there's nothing standing between me and Angel anymore and he's come home for good I just." Buffy trailed off awkwardly.  
  
Riley's frown had lifted somewhat. "Well I guess that's that then." He said softly.  
  
"I really am sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen. It just did and."  
  
".You'd be a fool if you didn't take advantage of it." Riley finished for her wryly.  
  
He looked at Angel. "You're a lucky guy." Then he half smiled at the still slack jawed Willow, nodded at Buffy and slowly walked from the room."  
  
A brief silence followed Riley's exit and then Willow began making a sound resembling Giles' old teakettle boiling madly and started waving her arms about excitedly.  
  
Angel casually looped an arm around Buffy and smiled at Willow's excitement. Buffy beamed up at him too until Willow managed to gain control of herself and dashed across the room to fling her arms round Buffy babbling excitedly, "How? When? Oh Buffy!"  
  
*******************  
  
Explanations had to be delivered to all Buffy's friends and that took quite some time. Although Angel was now human and still a warrior, which now made him an acceptable boyfriend for Buffy it then it had to be explained how that had come to pass. All in all the discussion went on for what seemed like forever and Buffy was more interested in spending time with her newly human boyfriend than discussing how he got that way.  
  
In desperation she faked yawns and declared sudden and intense tiredness, which caused some suspicious looks as the sun hadn't even begun to set but eventually they were allowed to leave. Hand in hand they walked to Angel's car and climbed in. As he pulled away from the kerb Angel asked Buffy if she was really tired. A sweet smile and a firmly shaken head was his answer. He turned the car in the direction of the beach.  
  
"Watch the sunset with me?" asked Angel as they arrived and climbed out of the car.  
  
Buffy nodded and dreamily wandered away down the beach.  
  
Angel followed her even more slowly; marvelling at the beauty of the girl he had thought forever lost to him, but was now more truly his than ever before.  
  
As she stopped a few metres from the ocean he caught up with her and slipped his arms around her, holding her closely.  
  
As they stood watching the sun begin to slip over the skyline on the day that marked such great change in their lives Buffy realised that although they hadn't spoken their actions and clothes fitted almost precisely with the hazily remembered dream of them she had had the summer she sent Angel to hell. For a moment she stiffened at the thought of the often-terrible past they had shared but shook the thought off quickly. Their unhappy past was just that - past.  
  
Now had a chance at what they had hardly even dared to dream of.  
  
A Future. Together. 


End file.
